In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead; in the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead. In the nineteenth century inhumanity meant cruelty; in the twentieth century it means schizoid self-alienation. The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots.Erich Fromm: The Sane Society
Conscience
The paradoxical—and tragic—situation of man is that his conscience is weakest when he needs it most.Erich Fromm: Man for Himself
Desire
Modern man lives under the illusion that he knows what he wants, while he actually wants what he is supposed to want.Erich Fromm: Escape from Freedom
Individuality
Men are born equal but they are also born different.Erich Fromm: Escape from Freedom